Overshoe



Nov. 8', 1966 J. R. SCHOVEE OVERSHOE Filed March 18, 1964 FIG. 3

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. JOHN R. SCHOVEE ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent F 3,283,423 OVERSHOE John R. Schovee, Pittsford, N.Y., assignor of fifteen percent to Paul J. Miller Filed Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,749 14 Claims. (CI. 36-73) This invention relates to overshoes and more specifically to an improved mens rubber permitting actuation thereof for receiving a corresponding shoe of the user.

The nuisance of putting on and taking off overshoes has long been a problem. While loosely fitting mens rubbers or overshoes may be removed from the shoe it covers by force applied at the back of the heel, there is not suitable means for positioning such an overshoe for receiving the shoe of the wearer. Presently, men assume a sitting position in order to pull the rubber onto the shoe which it is adapted to cover, or stand in a balanced position on one foot while pulling the overshoe onto the shoe and then balancing on the other foot while putting on the second rubber.

It is a significant object of my invention to provide an improved rubber or overshoe construction which will e1im inate the inconvenience heretofore necessary in putting an overshoe onto the shoe which it is adapted to cover.

My invention contemplates an improved rubber or overshoe having a heel portion of sufiicient rigidity to receive the heel of a corresponding shoe for which it is adapted to cover when the overshoe is actuated to a heel receiving position by actuating means coactive with the heel portion.

It is a more specific object of my invention to provide an improved rubber or overshoe construction in which the heel portion includes means whereby the heel of the shoe may, while being maintained substantially rigid, be pivoted to a heel receiving position.

It is a further important object of my invention to provide an improved rubber or overshoe construction whereby the heel portion may be secured in a stationary position While stretching the toe portion thereby to move the overshoe to a heel receiving position in which the entire shoe is received internally of the overshoe.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be particularly set forth in the claims and will be apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 in solid line is a side elevational view partly in section of one embodiment of my invention, and the broken line portion thereof is a second embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the FIG. 1 embodiment.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a third embodiment of my invention in positions corresponding respectively to FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fourth embodiment of my invention.

While I have described my invention by a reference to embodiments illustrating mens rubbers, it will be understood that the scope of my invention extends to overshoes generally including womens as well as mens.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, I have illustrated in solid line What is commonly known as a toe rubber generally indicated by the numeral formed or molded of a resilient material, preferably of rubber, comprising a toe portion 12 and a heel portion 14; and for purposes of better understanding my invention as defined in the claims, any portion of the rubber indicated by the double-headed arrow 16 shall hereinafter be referred to as a forward portion of the overshoe 10.

As is well known, the resilient toe portion 12 and heel portion 14 of an overshoe are designed to cooperatively and resiliently embrace a corresponding shoe of a wearer when in a normally closed position illustrated in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and'5 thereby to secure the overshoe to the corresponding shoe which it is adapted to cover and protect from snow, ice, water and other elements damaging to the soles and body portion of the corresponding shoe. Such a corresponding shoe is illustrated in FIG. 2 at 18 also having a toe portion 20 and heel portion 22.

In order to provide an overshoe suitable to fulfill the above described objects, I construct the heel portion 14 of such material and in such a manner that it is sufficiently rigid to maintain substantially its original shape and size upon actuation of the rubber 10 to a heel receiving position described more in detail hereinafter, thereby to receive the heel of the corresponding shoe 18 when the overshoe 1G is actuated to the heel receiving position illustrated in FIG. 2. In order to provide such rigidity of the heel portion 14, I include a semi-rigid or rigid heel portion preferably with a substantially rigid counter 24, the forward edge of which is defined by the broken line 26 and as illustrated is substantially coextensive with the normal heel counter of the shoe 22. The counter 24 may be made of fiberglass, plastic, metal, hardened rubber or any other suitable material and preferably molded integrally into the heel portion 14 of the overshoe 10.

Attached to the counter 24 is a flexible or semi-rigid step tab 25 molded of resilient material, or a substantially rigid tab 25A made integral with the counter 24, either of which is effective for pivoting the heel portion 14 of the overshoe 10 at substantially a fulcrum point illustrated by the inverted V 27 in the following manner: When the toe portion 20 of the corresponding shoe 18 is received within the toe portion 12 of the rubber or overshoe a downward pivoting force is applied by a second shoe 28 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2, and the overshoe is actuated to the heel receiving position in which the heel portion 14 is adapted to receive the heel of the corresponding heel 22 of the shoe 18. The toe of the second shoe 28 engages the flexible tab 25 which is of sufficient length to engage the floor or ground 29 when depressed. With retaining or holding pressure applied to the tab 25, forward pressure is applied at the rubber toe 12 by the toe 20 of the shoe 18 to impart a pivotal sliding motion to the heel portion 14 to move the rubber 10 to the FIG. 2 position, whereas, depression of the substantially rigid tab 25A pivots the heel portion 14 without sliding motion of the heel portion 14, while the toe portion 12 of the rubber 10 is maintained in a stationary position by holding pressure of the toe of the shoe. It will be understood that, while such pivoting action occurs by downward pivotal actuation of the heel portion 14 of the overshoe, a stretching action occurs within so much of the forward portion 16 of the overshoe as is illustrated by the double-headed arrow 16A in FIG. 2, thereby permitting the overshoe to be actuated to the heel receiving position illustrated in FIG. 2.

A second embodiment of my invention in which an overshoe 10A is illustrated in broken line in FIG. 1 covers a greater portion of the corresponding shoe than the toe rubber 10. In order to render this embodiment more satisfactory for actuation to the heel receiving position illustrated in FIG. 2, I provide a gusset 30 which is expandable at the upper end thereof to permit sufficient stretching at the instep or forward portion 16A to permit the above described pivoting of the heel portion 14.

At FIGS. 3 and 4, I have illustrated a third embodiment of my invention in which the same numerals as used in FIGS. 1 and 2 are used for identical parts. Analagous or corresponding portions distinguishing this embodiment from the FIGS. 1 and 2 embodiment are indicated by the same corresponding numerals of FIG. 2 followed by the sufiix B. The FIGS. 3 and 4 embodiment is distinguishable from the FIG. 1 embodiment only in the relative position of the rigid tab 25A of FIG. 1 which, in the 3 FIGS. 3 and 4 embodiment, is designated 25B and is formed integral with the counter 24 at substantially the E bottom thereof.

In FIG. 5, I have illustrated a fourth embodiment of my invention in which I provide a tab 250 preferably of resilient material which is integral with the heel portion 14, such that when holding pressure is applied by the other shoe 28 to the tab 25C, the heel portion 14 is maintained in a substantially stationary position. The forward portion 16 is then stretched from the solid line position to the broken line position 16B when stretching pressure is exerted by the toe 20 of the corresponding shoe 18 in a forward direction or left-hand direction with respect to FIG. 5, thereby to stretch the overshoe 10 to the heel receiving position illustrated at broken line at FIG. 5. It will be understood that the rigidity of the heel portion 14 of the FIG. embodiment need not be as great as the other embodiments which must maintain their original configuration in opposition to pivoting motion. In the FIG. 5 embodiment, the heelportion is subject to less distortion than under pivoting tension.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that, for removal of the rubber, the procedure above described is simply reversed and the corresponding shoe being covered by my novel rubber or overshoe may thereby be conviently, removed from the overshoe.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of mechanism of my invention it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made therein particularly in the form and relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an overshoe:

(a) a heel portion being movable from a normally closed position to an open heel receiving position and being of sufiicient rigidity to receive the heel of a corresponding shoe when said overshoe is actuated to a said open position by the hereinafter claimed actuating means; and

(b) actuating means extending outside said overshoe and adapted for actuation outside said overshoe and being coactive with said heel portion for actuation of said overshoe to said open position adapted to receive or remove the heel of said shoe when the toe of said shoe is received in said overshoe.

2. An improved overshoe in accordance with claim 1 in which said actuating means includes means for pivoting said heel portion about a fulcrum at substantially the bottom of said heel portion.

3. An improved overshoe in accordance with claim 2 in which said overshoe heel portion includes a substantially rigid counter having a forward edge on the overshoe at least substantially coextensive with a forward edge of a normal heel counter of a corresponding shoe to be received by said overshoe.

4. An improved overshoe including a toe portion and in accordance with claim 1 in which said actuating means includes a stretch portion intermediate said heel portion and said toe. portion thereof and a tab means responsive to holding pressure for holding said heel portion while pressure applied at said toe portion stretches said stretch portion until said overshoe is in said shoe receiving posi tion.

5. An improved overshoe in accordance with claim 1 in which said overshoe comprises a resilient toe rubber.

6."An improved overshoe in accordance with claim 1 in which 'said overshoe includes a gusset in each sidewall intermediate the toe portion and heel portion.

7. In an overshoe:

(a) a heel portion having a forward edge of the overshoe at least substantially coextensive with a forward edge of a normal heel counter of a corresponding shoe to be received by said overshoe, said heel portion being movable from a normally closed position heel of said shoe when the toe of said shoe is in said overshoe.

8. In an overshoe: (a) a heel portion being movable from a normally closed position to an open heel receiving position and I being of sufficient rigidity to receive the heel of a corresponding first shoe when said overshoe is actuated to said open position by the. hereinafter claimed actuating means; and

(b) actuating means including a step tab extending outi side said overshoe responsive to pressure applied by a second shoe and coactive with said heel portion for actuation of said overshoe to said open position adapted to receive the heel of said first shoe when the toe of said first shoe is received in said overshoe. 9. An improved overshoe in accordance with claim 8 in which said actuating means includes a stretch portion intermediate said heel portion and toe portion responsive to pressure applied at said toe portion while holding pressure is applied to said tab for stretching until said overshoe is in said shoe receiving position.

10. An improved overshoe in accordance with claim 9 1 in which said overshoe heel portion includes a substantially rigid counter.

11. An improved overshoe including a forward portion terminating in a toe portion comprising:

(a) a heel portion of sufficient rigidity to receive the heel of a corresponding first shoe when said overshoe is actuated to a heel receiving position by the herein after described means; and

(b) actuating means including an outside tab responsive to pressure applied by a second shoe for maintaining said heel portion in a substantially stationary position and said forward portion of said overshoe being stretchable sufiiciently to permit the heel of said first shoe to be received within said overshoe heel portion when a toe portion of said first shoe is received by said toe portion of said overshoe.

12. An improved overshoe comprising:

(a) a heel portion having a forward edge on the overshoe at least substantially coextensive with a forward edge of a normal heel counter of a corresponding shoe to be received by said overshoe, said heel .portion being movable from a closed position to an open heel receiving position and being of sufficient rigidity to receive the heel of said corresponding shoe when said overshoe is actuated to said open position.

by the hereinafter described means; and

(b) means for pivoting said heel portion to said open position while maintaining a toe portion of said over shoe in a substantially stationary position thereby to permit the heel of a corresponding shoe to be received within said overshoe heel portion when a toe portion of said shoe is received by said overshoe toe portion.

13. In an overshoe:

(a) a heel portion of sufiicient rigidity to receive the heel of a corresponding shoe when said overshoe is actuated to a heel receiving position by the hereinafter claimed actuating means; and

(b) actuating means extending outside said overshoe and adapted for actuation outside said overshoe and being coactive with said heel portion for actuation of said overshoe to a position adapted to receive or remove the heel of said shoe when the toe of said shoe is received in said overshoe, said actuating means including a step tab spaced above the ground engaging level of said heel portion and of snfficient length to engage the ground when depressed.

14. In an overshoe:

(a) a heel portion of sufiicient rigidity to receive the heel of a corresponding first shoe when said overshoe is actuated to a heel receiving position by the hereinafter claimed actuating means; and

(b) actuating means including a step tab extending outside said overshoe responsive to pressure applied by a second shoe and coactive with said heel portion for actuation of said overshoe to a position adapted to receive the heel of said first shoe when the toe of said first shoe is received in said overshoe, said actuating means including means for pivoting said heel portion about a fulcrum of substantially the bottom of said heel portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1870 Gunn 362.5 6/1882 Thomson 362.5 2/1910 Smith 362.5 1/1929 Morrill et a1. 367.3 10/1938 Berry 367.3 3/1962 Slade 367.3 9/1964 Owings 36-2.5 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 7/1910 France.

JORDON FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner. 

1. IN AN OVERSHOE: (A) A HEEL PORTION BEING MOVABLE FROM A NORMALLY CLOSED POSITION TO AN OPEN HEEL RECEIVING POSITION AND BEING OF SUFFICIENT RIGIDITY TO RECEIVE THE HEEL OF A CORRESPONDING SHOE WHEN SAID OVERSHOE IS ACTUATED TO A SAID OPEN POSITION BY THE HEREINAFTER CLAIMED ACUTATING MEANS; AND (B) ACTUATING MEANS EXTENDING OUTSIDE SAID OVERSHOE AND ADPATED FOR ACTUATION OUTSIDE SAID OVERSHOE AND BEING COACTIVE WITH SAID HEEL PORTION FOR ACTUATION OF SAID OVERSHOE TO SAID OPEN POSITION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE OR REMOVE THE HEEL OF SAID SHOE WHEN THE TOE OF SAID SHOE IS RECEIVED IN SAID OVERSHOE. 